Cuba Cinematheque reports on poor storage conditions

A part of the Cuban film heritage has been lost by poor storage conditions, admitted Luciano Castillo, director of the Cinematheque of Cuba.

"The collection of the Cinematheque was 11 years unheated so a part of our film heritage was lost. We are now functions of transferring the entire file to a location with better conditions," Castillo said without specifying the number of affected material and its relevance.

He added that they have made "a large investment in equipment for restoration, called telecine and negative scanner with the idea of making a large complex dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Cuban cinema".

"We intend to begin restoration of titles such as Cuba Baila, Julio García Espinosa. We want to revitalize and preserve the national film heritage, not only with the productions of ICAIC, if not producing materials disappeared as the Minfar Film Studies and Film educational "he said.

Castillo also reported that this year the Film transfer its functions to the historic home of Charles Chaplin film, for 23 and 12. The latter "brings together more appropriate for a film library viewer features" he said.

As to file Cinematheque, said he has nurtured in collaboration with the Office of Latin American Film Festival, "a considerable number of copies of 35mm film classics that they had in their vaults".

"Also we safeguard some titles of Latin American cinema that were donated by their producers and directors, as the restored film version Orson Welles," he said without further explanation.